New to View: Aug. 10

By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Aug. 10, unless otherwise noted:
Profile (Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 2018, Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Rated: R, disturbing images, language
The lowdown: A British journalist goes undercover to bait and expose a terrorist recruiter through social media.
At the same time, she is fighting his attempts to transform her into a militant extremist.
The movie works as a thriller and character study.
It also is technically interesting as the story unfolds entirely on a computer screen in the Screenville format.
The film was directed by Timur Bekmambetov, the Russian filmmaker responsible for “Night Watch,” “Day Watch,” Wanted” and the silly “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.”
“Profile” pleased a majority of critics, who awarded the movie a 61 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 DVS; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.

Batman: The Long Halloween — Part Two (Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 2021, Warner Home Entertainment
Rated: R, violence, bloody images
The lowdown: In the conclusion of this animated thriller, which takes place during the early years of Batman, the Dark Knight, Capt. James Gordon and Harvey Dent continue trying to solve the puzzle of the serial killer, Holiday, who murders victims once a month on major holidays.
Adding to the problems of Batman and his allies is the escape from Arkham Asylum of Poison Ivy, Scarecrow and Mad Hatter.
The movie also examines the slow downward spiral of Dent and his transformation into Two-Face.
The feature is one of the better animated offerings from the DC universe.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental options include the animated short, “The Blue Beetle”; a look at the next DC animated movie, “Injustice”; previews of “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns — Part II” and “Batman: Hush”; and two cartoons from “Batman: the Animated Series” focusing on Two-Face.

Those Who Wish Me Dead (Blu-ray + digital)
Release date: Aug. 3
Details: 2021, Warner Home Entertainment
Rated: R, strong violence, language
The lowdown: Angelina Jolie stars as Hannah, a smoke jumper, suffering emotionally from the loss of three young lives she failed to save from a fire.
When she stumbles across Connor (Finn Little), a bloody and traumatized 12-year-old boy, they set out to cross miles of thick forest.
They brave deadly lightning storms, unaware that they are being hunted by two killers while a gigantic blaze heads straight toward them.
The killers are after the boy who witnessed a murder they committed.
The movie received overall positive reviews, garnering a 63 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and descriptive audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a making of featurette.

Here Today (DVD)
Release date: Aug. 3
Details: 2021, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13, strong language, sexual references
The lowdown: A warmhearted comedy that offers a dollop of laughs, a drop of heartbreak and a pinch of regret.
The movie stars Billy Crystal and Tiffany Haddish as an odd, platonic pair who form an unlikely friendship.
At times, the tone of “Here Today” is funny, maudlin and weepy.
It is built around Crystal’s congenial persona, which, for decades, has served him as a nonthreatening and endearing everyman in standup comedy and on film. And Haddish’s optimistic, outsized personality complements his.
Crystal, who directed the movie, plays Charlie Burnz, a veteran comedy writer, playwright and screenwriter whose best days — and years — are behind him.
He is working hard to keep up with the young writers at a “Saturday Night Live”-like sketch comedy show.
Crystal and Haddish have a cute-meet when Haddish’s Emma Payge shows up for a luncheon with Burnz that her ex-boyfriend won at an online raffle.
A friendship slowly begins as the two enjoy going around New York City together.
Charlie, though, has a secret. He is declining cognitively — battling a form of dementia that is making it difficult for him to recognize people, remember names and retain memories.
“Here Today” has an underlying sadness. Charlie has never forgiven himself for the death of his wife — killed in a car accident. He blames himself because they were arguing before she drove off. And he believes his children also hold him responsible.
“Here Today” is a very enjoyable movie. It’s like an old cardigan that makes you feel warm and snuggly.
Technical aspects: 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; English and English audio description track 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include filmmaker and cast interviews and a commentary with Crystal, Haddish and cowriter Alan Zweibel.

My Heart Won’t Beat Unless You Tell It To (Blu-ray)
Details: 2020, Dark Sky Films-MPI Media Group
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Brother and sister Dwight (Patrick Fugit) and Jessie (Ingrid Sophie Schram) are tasked with taking care of their younger brother, Thomas (Owen Campbell), and doing whatever they must to keep him alive.
That includes Dwight’s nightly sojourns, prowling the streets seeking the forlorn and lonely — people who will not be missed.
Thomas, it seems, needs blood to survive.
But there is tension in the family as Dwight’s crimes begin to heavily weigh upon him, while Jessie needs them all to stay together.
The movie, written and directed by Jonathan Cuartas, is a different type of vampire story, more a tale of familial obligation and complicity than pure horror.
Cuartas’ debut film impressed critics who gave it a 98 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.33:1 full-screen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles.

Lilies of the Field (Blu-ray)
Details: 1963, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Sidney Poitier became the first black actor to receive an Academy Award for best actor for his portrayal of Homer Smith, an itinerant handyman driving through the Arizona desert when he meets five impoverished nuns.
Being a good Samaritan, he stops to repair their leaky farmhouse roof. When the job is finished, he discovers that, not only will the Mother Superior not pay him for his work, but she wants him to build their chapel — for free.
Reluctant, at first, Smith soon finds himself not only constructing the chapel, but raising the financing for the job.
Smith comes to realize that when the job is done, he may not have any money, but that he is richer in other ways.
The movie was directed by Ralph Nelson with stunning black-and-white cinematography by Ernest Haller.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: The major extra is a commentary track by film historian-critic Sergio Mims.

O.S.S. (Blu-ray)
Details: 1946, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This World War II espionage thriller, produced in 1946, fictionalizes the activities of the Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S.), which carried out covert spy operations during the war.
Alan Ladd and Geraldine Fitzgerald star as part of a team of operatives sent into France to blow up a railway bridge.
The film opens at an Army spy school where most of the characters meet and are taught about tactics and gadgets used in the trade.
They are taught how one wrong move could cost them their lives.
In France, Ladd’s code-named John Martin and Fitzgerald’s code-named Elaine Duprez, are romantically involved. But as members of the O.S.S., they know the mission comes first, even if the necessary sacrifice is very great.
The film costars Patric Knowles, John Hoyt and Richard Benedict, and was directed by Irving Pichel.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track by film historian Samm Deighan is the major extra.

Drunk Bus (Blu-ray)
Details: 2020, FilmRise
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A directionless recent college grad’s post-graduate life is derailed when his girlfriend leaves him for a job in New York City.
Michael takes a job as a late-shift bus driver where he meets Pineapple (Pineapple Tangaroa), a 300-pound, tattooed-face, punk rock Samoan, hired as security guard.
Michael and Pineapple form a friendship and break out of their drab loop by creating some excitement for themselves as well as making some poor decisions.
The film’s mix and comedy and drama is uneven at times, but it’s rowdy, infectuous and sweet moments make it an entertaining ride.
A vast majority of critics also believed that, awarding the movie a 98 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English audio.

Peter Ibbetson (Blu-ray)
Details: 1935, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Gary Cooper and Ann Harding star in this romantic fantasy based on a novel by George du Maurier.
Cooper portrays Peter Ibbetson, a young and idealistic architect, who longs for his childhood neighbor, Mary (Harding).
When he is commissioned by the British Duke of Towers (John Halliday) to rebuild his stables, he is delighted to discover that the Duke’s wife is his long-lost beloved.
The duke becomes violent when he discovers their past, and Peter is sentenced to life in prison for an accidental killing.
There, Mary comes to him in his dreams and they are able to live out their romance in a dream world.
The movie costars Dickie Moore as Gogo, the childhood Peter; Virginia Weidler as Mimsey, the childhood Mary; as well as Ida Lupino and Douglas Dumbrille, all under the direction of Henry Hathaway.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track by film historian David Del Valle is the main bonus component.

Weed the People (DVD)
Details: 2018, Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: The growing use of cannabis for medicinal purposes is on the rise since scientists have discovered its anti-cancer properties.
Armed with these laboratory studies, desperate parents obtain cannabis through underground sources to save their children from childhood cancer.
This documentary follows these families as they take their children’s survival into their own hands.
Many of the outcomes raises the troubling question at the heart of the movie — if weed can save lives, why doesn’t the government want people to access it?
The movie, which garnered a 100 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, is an empathetic look at the topic.
Technical aspects: 1.78:1 (16:9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 2.0 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Deleted scenes comprise the main bonus component.

Chariots of the Gods (Blu-ray)
Details: 1970, VCI Entertainment-MVD Visual Entertainment
Rated: G
The lowdown: One of the offshoots of the 1960s’ space race and astronauts landing on the moon was a heightened interest in UFO and the possibility of life on other planets.
This led to books about extraterrestrial life possibly visiting Earth. One of the most popular books was Eric von Daniken’s “Chariots of the Gods,” which purported to prove that throughout history aliens have visited our planet.
The book spawned a popular documentary that featured, among others von Daniken, that provided what was claimed as visual proof that alien life landed on Earth centuries ago.
The core of the movie is examining what alien visitors did here and the influences they left behind. The movie examines underground caves and tombs as well as the tops of desolate mountains on every continent to show evidence that von Daniken has been collecting.
Whether any of this is true, of course, is up to you — the viewer — to decide.
But, life on other planets, as scientists believe today, is very possible since the universe is comprised of thousands of galaxies and millions of planets.
The one point von Daniken makes and that is very plausible is that we are not alone in the universe.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.66:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 LPCM monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: The major extra is von Daniken’s follow-up documentary, “Mysteries of the Gods.”

Who Will Start Another Fire (DVD)
Details: 2021, Kino Lorber-Dedza Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Under the umbrella of this DVD’s title rests nine movies from emerging filmmakers of color from underrepresented communities from around the world.
And while each of the stories are personal, they represent overall themes of rebirth and growing.
The movies represent individual visions as seen through the eyes of their makers, as these emerging arts show the promise and potential for cinema’s future.
Technical aspects: 16×9 picture; English 2.0 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: An introduction to the movies by filmmaker Charles Burnett is the major extra.

F.P. 1 Doesn’t Answer (Blu-ray)
Details: 1932, Kino Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A German science fiction movie that dramatizes the creation of a massive floating airport serving as a midpoint in the Atlantic Ocean between four continents.
Hans Albers stars as Ellissen, the dashing pilot who convinces an heiress, played by Sybille Schmitz, to fund the project.
When communications with Floating Platform 1 is interrupted, Ellissen risks his life to investigate.
One of the movie’s writers is Kurt Siodmak. This was his last film in Germany before emigrating to England and then the United States, where — as either Kurt or Curt Siodmak — he would write such sci-fi and horror features as “The Ape,” “The Wolf Man,” “The Invisible Man Returns,” “Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man” and “Donovan’s Brain.”
“F.P. 1 Doesn’t Answer,” at 112 minutes, is too long and too dialogue-heavy, most of it skewered toward Albers character. The movie also features Peter Lorre in a small supporting role, with not much to do.
The Blu-ray also features the 1933 American version of the movie, entitled “Secrets of F.P. 1,” which stars Conrad Veidt (“Casablanca,” “Thief of Bagdad”), Jill Esmond and Leslie Fenton.
That version runs a quick 78 minutes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.19:1 full-screen picture; German audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Beside the American version, extras include a commentary track with film historian Eddy von Mueller.

Desire (Blu-ray)
Details: 1936, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Marlene Dietrich and Gary Cooper team up for this sophisticated romantic comedy directed by Frank Borzage and produced by Ernst Lubitsch.
Dietrich portrays “Countess” Madeline, a conniving and alluring jewel thief who has just committed the most elaborate heist — a small fortune in pearls — in European history.
As she makes her way to Spain to deliver the hot merchandise, she develops car trouble, but is helped by Tom Bradley (Cooper), a handsome and likable young tourist.
Madeline shows her gratitude by leaving Bradley in the dust. But when Bradley accidentally comes into possession of the pearls, Madeline must pretend she has romantic feelings for him to get them back.
And, as in most movies of this type, her feelings eventually warm into true love for her American beau.
To keep him, Madeline realizes she must reform — no matter what the cost.
The film costars John Halliday, Akim Tamiroff, William Frawley, Alan Mowbray and Earnest Cossart.
Fans of both stars will find the movie a delight.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Commentary tracks by film historians David Del Valle and Samm Deighan are the main extras.

Through the Shadow (DVD)
Details: 2015, Jinga Films-MVD Visual Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This Brazilian feature is set in 1930s’ Brazil and is an adaptation of Henry James’ “The Turn of the Screw,” which has been adapted several times, the most noted of which is director Jack Clayton’s 1961 version starring Deborah Kerr.
The storyline remains the same in this adaptation as Laura is hired as a nanny to look after two orphaned children who live on their uncle’s coffee plantation. It’s a remote estate haunted by malevolent spirits.
As Laura discovers more and more about the history of the family, she finds she has become a victim of a diabolical plot.
The movie avoids CGI effects, relying on camera work and shadows to produce the story’s ghostly apparitions.
Technical aspects: 1.78:1 widescreen picture; Brazilian Portuguese 5.1 Dolby digital surround; English subtitles.

Back Street (Blu-ray)
Details: 1961, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Susan Hayward and John Gavin star in this tearjerker based on Fannie Hurst’s best-selling novel about two people who meet, fall in love but are unable to marry because of impossible circumstances — namely he already is wed.
Still, they carry on a lifelong relationship until tragedy strikes.
This is at least the third film adaptation of Hurst’s novel — and it is the weakest. Hayward was too old and too brassy for the part of the kept woman.
Earlier versions in 1932 and 1941, starred Irene Dunne and Margaret Sullavan as the kept woman. And while all versions are outdated by today’s standards, the movies did click with audiences as they were considered weepers that drew women to the theater.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track by film historian David Del Valle is the major bonus component.

Dark Stories (DVD)
Details: 2021, Shout! Studios-Scream Factory
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Five stories of horror, suspense and the supernatural are told in this anthology movie about a mom who is attacked by a bloodthirsty doll.
To keep it from killing her sleeping son, she must use all of her imagination to district it with horror stories.
Stories include shadowy ghouls stalking an art gallery, the final judgment before an impending apocalypse, a forensic scientist confronted by his zombie victim and a nightmarish creature.
Titles of these short tales include “Boughtat,” “The Last Judgement,” “The Blood Doll,” “The Ghoul Feast,” “The Ghosts of the Park” and “Dead But Alive.”
Technical aspects: 2.00:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; English and French  5.1 Dolby digital; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include making of featurettes on all the stories as well as the overall movie.

You Will Die at Twenty (DVD)
Details: 2019, Film Movement
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This movie from Sudan tells of a mother who, at her son’s naming ceremony, is told a sheikh’s prediction that the boy will die at the age of 20.
The protective mother withholds the dire prophecy from her son. Instead, she becomes overly protective.
The boy escapes his mother’s ever-watchful eye, encountering friends, ideas and challenges that make him question his destiny.
The movie was Sudan’s first Academy Award submission for best international movie.
The film is a thoughtful meditation of what it is to live in the present.
Technical aspects: 2.39:1 widescreen picture; Arabic 5.1 Dolby digital surround; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: The major extras are two short films, “Studio” from Sudan and “More Than Two Days” from Qatar.

Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
Are You Afraid of the Dark?: Curse of the Shadows (DVD) (Nickelodeon-Paramount Home Entertainment)
Eye Without a Face (DVD & VOD) (Gravitas Ventures)
Finding Your House (Blu-ray + DVD & digital) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
The House Next Door: Meet the Blacks (Blu-ray & DVD & digital) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
I Am Toxic (DVD) (Jinga Films)
Lust (DVD) (Jinga Films)
Occupation Rainfall (Blu-ray + digital) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
Victim of Love (DVD) (Indican Pictures)

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
Black Widow (Disney Media Distribution-Marvel Studios)
Dreambuilders (Shout! Kids)
Materna (Utopia)
Untold: Malice at the Palace (www.netflix.com/UntoldCollection) (Netflix)
The Kissing Booth 3 (www.netflix.com/TheKissingBooth3) (Netflix, Aug. 11)
Homeroom (Hulu, Aug. 12)
The Hunt for a Killer (Sundance Now, Aug. 12)
10/31: Part 2 (Terror Films, Aug. 13)
Buckley’s Chance (Vertical Entertainment, Aug. 13)
CODA (Apple TV+, Aug. 13)
Curiosa (Film Movement, Aug. 13)
Last Call: The Shutdown of NYC Bars (Global Digital Releasing, Aug. 13)
The Meaning of Hitler (IFC Films, Aug. 13)
Schmigadoon: Episode 6 (Apple TV+, Aug. 13)
Queen of the Beach (Under the Milky Way, Aug. 15)

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.